Cleanup and rehabilitation crews continue to work around the clock on the Kedron Fieldhouse, damaged last week by two small fires and resulting water damage from the sprinklers due to a malfunction in the fire alarm system.
In the meantime, both the fieldhouse and the Kedron pools remain closed, though the city is hoping for a partial reopening by Monday, July 1.
Police arrested a 19-year-old Palmetto man at 3 p.m. Thursday who was charged with setting the two small fires at opposite ends of the fieldhouse building. He was identified on video as being a member of a janitorial crew contracted by the city. The crew works at night and that’s how the suspect got access to the facility, police said.
The malfunction in the fire alarm system was caused by a switch that failed to activate which would have sent a signal to the city’s alarm monitoring company that there was water flow coming from the sprinklers, city officials said last week. The system worked when it was last tested in February and March, and the malfunctioning part was being replaced. Additionally the city will be checking the fire alarm system on other city buildings as a precaution.
Fire Chief Ed Eiswerth noted that activation of the fire sprinkler system saved the structure.
The city’s insurance carrier had a crew begin working on cleanup the afternoon of the fire, and they have worked around the clock to repair the facility, officials said. The city will update the status of the facility on its website: www.peachtree-city.org.
